Migrants face four-year wait to be Australian

Press Release Summary = MIGRANTS will have to wait at least four years beforebecoming Australian citizens under a Federal Government proposal expected to beannounced today.

Press Release Body = MIGRANTS will have to wait at least four years before becomingAustralian citizens under a Federal Government proposal expected to be announcedtoday.

They will have also have to take an English language test - and failure would stopthem becoming Australian citizens.

The measures are expected to be listed in a discussion paper to be released byParliamentary Secretary for Immigration Andrew Robb.

Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday the English language requirements feature\"prominently\" in the package.

\"I am keen on everybody learning the English language as soon as possible,\" he said.\"It is absolutely essential.\"

It is understood the proposals also include an increase in the waiting period forpeople to become citizens from three years to four years.

The requirement was last year raised from two to three years in an attempt tocontain the home-grown terror threat. At that time, then citizenship minister JohnCobb said the longer migrants spent in Australian society before gainingcitizenship, the less vulnerable they were to \"falling in with extreme groups\".

He said the extra time would allow migrants to \"get a job, make mates and go to thepub\".

A government source yesterday told The Daily Telegraph there had been high-leveldiscussions about upping the eligibility requirements from three to four or evenfive years.

He said there was likely to be public consultation but there would be a shorttime-frame for people to voice their concerns.

Mr Robb has been working on the proposal since April, when he said knowing the dateof the Melbourne Cup was a cultural value that everyone hoping to become anAustralian citizen should know.

The English language component was flagged by the Prime Minister as he called on allMuslims to learn English to better integrate into society.

\"Integrating means accepting Australian values, it means learning as rapidly as youcan the English language if you don\'t already speak it,\" Mr Howard said.

His comments won support from several prominent Muslim leaders and Foreign MinisterAlexander Downer.

Currently, all permanent skilled migrants must have vocational English, but thereare exemptions for areas of acute skills shortages and temporary migrants.

Skilled migrants - who make up about 70 per cent of all immigration - are all testedbefore being granted a visa. The remaining 30 per cent, generally refugees, familyreunion or family members of skilled migrants, have no English requirement.

They are being offered taxpayer-funded English courses but only 62 per cent turnedup for classes in the past year.